This is the first report of an ongoing study of insect succession on carrion carried
out in Medellín, Colombia, using pigs (Sus scrofa) as a model to determine the insect
sequence over 207 days. During this period, 2314 insects belonging to the following
orders and families were collected: Diptera: Calliphoridae, Muscidae, Piophilidae,
Sarcophagidae, Syrphidae, Otitidae; Hymenoptera: Apidae, Formicidae, Halictidae, Mutilidae,
Vespidae; Coleoptera: Staphylinidae, Histeridae, Carabidae, Scarabaeidae, Silphidae,
Dermestidae, Cleridae, Nitidulidae; Dermaptera: Forficulidae; Hemyptera: Gelastocoridae,
Coreidae; Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae. Five decomposition stages were observed (fresh,
bloated, active decay, advanced decay, and dry remains) and four insect ecological
categories (necrophagous, predators, omnivorous, and incidental). During the fresh
stage, the first insects that appeared were flies of the families Sarcophagidae and
Muscidae and specimens of Formicidae (Hymenoptera). During the bloated period, species
of Calliphoridae (Diptera) were predominant and the first to oviposit. During the
third and fourth stages (active decay and advanced decay), the most abundant families
were Calliphoridae and Muscidae, although Staphilinidae (Coleoptera) also stood out.
During the last stage (dry remains), the dominant family was Formicidae (Hymenoptera)
followed by Dermestidae (Coleoptera) with a large number of immature insects.